Monthly Archives: November 2012

My house is littered with raisin boxes and crayons and it’s all my fault.

For the first time in a decade I went trick or treating. Needless to say, a certain ladybug I know came home with quite the stash. While chocolate is one of my personal major food groups, as far as our two year-old is concerned, it’s pure contraband. Thus mommy created, The Great Big Halloween Candy Exchange.

It started off with a conversation: trick or treating, getting candy, trading the candy in for cool stuff, blah-blah-blah

Step Two was a trip to Target: here Gwendolyn the Great* picked out two bags of stuff from the $1 bins. All things GG thought were awesome with no interference from mommy. She was dying to get at it except mommy told her she had to wait unti after trick or treating. Once she got the contraband, mommy would do the exchange – 1 fun toy/snack for 1 piece of candy. (*names have been changed to protect the innocent)

Step Three: Trick or Treating. The highlight of this was GG holding both my and my husband’s hand and shouting, “WE ARE A FAMILY!” We tried not to wince since baby was home asleep and quite obviously missing from our after-dark adventure. At least we had Kiki the Wonder Dog with us who was also not-so-coincidentally dressed up as a ladybug. Sam dressed as himself by the way, and I was a witch. Although when GG saw me she shouted, “Bruja!” and burst out in gleeful giggles. Somehow in Spanish my costume sounded more like an actual description then a costume choice.

And then came the final step, The Trade: GG dumped her candy onto the living room floor and with closed eyes, reached time and time again into the Target bag for her trades. Apple sauce, a rubik’s cube, coloring books, Hello Kitty stickers, a slinky, glow in the dark snowmen, snoopy markers…the list of stuff is endless.

So I got through another Halloween without a jacked-up sugar monster, but in exchange I got $1 loot sandblasted throughout my house. Eh. I’ll take the $1 crap anytime.

At 6:57am I drove by my voting station…and kept on driving. The line was 4 blocks long and looked absolutely bananas. Why oh why didn’t I send in my ballot my mail? Oh yeah, I’m besieged by children.

There was an old woman who lived in a boat,

She had so many children,

She couldn’t get out to vote!

I had my 2 year old with me this morning who is very excited about being an American, the American flag, and all things American. A favorite phrase in our house is (and screech this please), “I’m an American!” When asked who she was planning to vote for, Romney or Obama her response was, O’Rama. O’Rama. I love it. The perfect combination of Mitt Romney and Barack Obama.

Which is my feeling about this election. No matter who wins, no matter what party takes office next year, enough is enough. No more spending the next 4 years just trying to thwart whoever gets into office. It’s time to work together as we did in the late 1700’s when this country was started. It’s time to vote, O’Rama!

It is rare these days for me to get a minute to myself, but when I do I usually spend that minute unloading the dishwasher or lamenting my skinny jeans for being well, so darn skinny. To catch you up however, Sam and I did get to attend the closing of Campanile after 23 years of stellar business. Strangely, Campanile has been a landmark in my personal life as well. Every serious boyfriend I ever had while living in Los Angeles has taken me to Campanile for our first date. It became something of a “sign” to me – dinner at Campanile and date #4,363 was probably going to last a bit longer than date #4,362. When Sam took me there for grilled cheese night almost 7 1/2 years ago, I knew he was a keeper. I didn’t know he would be THE keeper, but I knew we were headed someplace special.

Campanile is something of a landmark in L.A. Originally built by Charlie Chaplin in 1929, but was lost before he could use it in his acrimonious divorce to Lita Frey. The inside echoes it’s interesting past with arches and towers and neat little touches that scream yesteryear.

In the week before Campanile closed, Sam and I got there twice; once for grilled cheese night, once for dinner on our 3rd anniversary. The food both times was as always, delicious. The wait staff, superbly attentive. The ambiance everything quintessentially Campanile. Sam and I said goodbye to Campanile and I personally, said goodbye to ever dating again. (I mean, where would they take me now that my “spot” is closed?)

Bye Campanile. I will always remember you (and your wine cellar) with love.